UGH!

Wow, I'm not even going to try to sugar-coat these last couple of weeks! Just a few days after the holiday weekend I got sick, and it has NOT been fun! I have giardia, and for any of you who have ever had it, you know how unpleasant it can be! Apparently it is really common in Hawaii, with hygiene not being a number one priority for most people, and my doctor said that he has had it twice just since moving here! I'm not going to go into detail of the disgusting symptoms of this fabulous infection, just please be advised: if anyone tells you they have it, STAY AWAY FROM THEM!!!! Believe me! YOU DON'T WANT IT!!!

Poor Jordy has been coming over to me and saying, "You OK Mommy?" It's so sweet, but it breaks my heart at the same time! This is one of the times where deployment just stinks!! I'm the only one here to interact with Jord, and I feel like she has to pay the price for Mommy being sick. It makes me feel so guilty, but also makes me get creative, so that's a plus.

I spoke to Mike a little over a week ago, and he is still sounding very homesick. He stressed the way Jordan's pictures make her look so grown up, and how he can't wait to come home! He is working alot now, and he's really happy about that. I think when he first got here, no one knew him or his work ability, so they were hasty with giving him tasks to do. This deployment has really given him a time to shine, and he hasn't hesitated to do so. Now he's up for promotion already this fall, and studying everyday for his test so that he can embrace his new position! I'm so very proud of him! He is also going before a board for a medal, which he is very hopeful to receive! God has really blessed us since we came back into this military lifestyle, a I'm so thankful to know that we are in exactly the place that He needs us to be!

My friends that just moved here (Chris and Jordan and family) have been going to church with us every Sunday. They are such a blessing to us, and I don't know what I would do without them! Chris and Mike couldn't be more alike, and neither could Jordan and I! She is in almost the exact same place that I am spiritually, and she, just like me also, is so eager to develop a stronger relationship with God. Most of the people I meet at church are so much more spiritually mature than I am, and they are great GREAT people, but it can be kind of intimidating in a learning environment. I feel like Jordan and I are at the same place spiritually, and we will have alot of fun learning and growing together!! That is SO VERY important to me, and I am so thankful to God for bringing them to us! Now if only Chris wasn't deploying just days after Doc gets home!!!

Well, I am going to go try to play with Miss Jordan! You all have a great day and a great weekend! We love you all! :) And by the way, we ARE SO excited that our wedding is only a couple months away and we will be seeing you all soon!!!! :)

Let Freedom RING!!!

What a fabulous holiday! This year I feel as though my passions for this holiday are so intense that it consumes me, and all I can hope is that each and every one of my friends and family feel the pride for their freedom, their protection from enemies, and their country in general that I do! I pray that for just a moment today we can stop focusing on the negative things that the news reports, and realize how VERY MUCH good there is in the world today!!! The news needs a story, and nobody enjoys an uplifting story nearly as much as a tragedy, but great things are happening everyday!!! Let's think about those things. Let's stop thinking about Democrats vs. Republicans and start thinking about how very blessed we are to be living in the UNITED States of America. Let's honor those who have given their lives so that we can enjoy our freedoms, but let's also remember the MAJOR positive accomplishments we have had and continue to have in Operation Enduring Iraqi Freedom. Let's stop griping about gas prices, and start thanking God for the fact that we have a vehicle, and running water, and electricity, and a government that, say what you will about them, has successfully brought us 232 years of pride in calling ourselves American's. That's what I'm doing, and I'm tellin' ya, it's the way to go! :)

Our times have been a bit trying these last couple weeks. Doc's unit has experienced their first casualties for this deployment. The emotions that come with that our breath-taking. A part of you feels helpless, sympathetic for the families, and all-over grief-stricken. Another part of you feels thankful that it didn't happen to you. The guilt that comes with that feeling is powerful, however, I feel as though I have no other way to be. I will be in regular prayer for those families who have lost a husband, father, or son, but I will also be praising God for the answer to my prayers for Doc's safety. I know God's plan is hard to understand, and it's really not meant for us to understand. It is meant for us to trust, and that is what I am doing. I am relying on my faith to lead me. I wasn't close with the men who lost their lives. They were the top commanding officer's of the unit, as well as one of their guards. I didn't know their wives that well, but we had chatted a few times over bunco club or command-sponsored events. That being said, I wasn't expecting a huge emotional reaction from myself after this, but it definitely impacted me. I really didn't think anything like this was possible, given the relatively smooth deployment we've had thus far. It reminds us that it is a crafty folk we are fighting, and that we need to be in prayer for our troops regularly.

Well, after that fun paragraph, let's return to some upbeat conversation, shall we?!?! We helped welcome some of our friends to the island recently! We have been having a great time spending time with them and helping them with their PCS. (Permanent Change of Station, for those non-military who may be reading this! LOL It's a fancy term for move) We have also been enjoying our 4th of July weekend thus far! I will put up some pictures from our journeys to see concerts and enjoy the scenery :) Jordan has been finding great joy in going to the pool, playing with her friends, putting on her new hot pink patent-leather rain boots (first thing she does most mornings! LOL) and reading her new books from Nanny and Poppy. We are busy busy busy, and loving how fast time is going by!!! We can't wait to get that man home, and he will be here before we know it!!! AHHH we're so close! I hope you all have a fabulous weekend, and please keep Doc and his unit in your prayers as they undergo a time of change and continued efforts moving forward! :) Love you all!